A Storm of Silence: Study Finds Media Is Largely Ignoring Link Between Hurricanes and Climate Change

https://democracynow.org – “A Storm of Silence.” That’s the title of a new report by the watchdog group Public Citizen that looks at the media’s failure to discuss climate change in its wall-to-wall hurricane coverage. While all the television networks commented on the magnitude of Hurricane Harvey and “extreme weather,” virtually none explained how warmer ocean temperatures lead to heavier winds, warmer air causes more precipitation, and higher sea levels exacerbate storm surges. The report examined 18 media sources’ coverage of Hurricane Harvey—looking at 10 major newspapers, three weekly news magazines and national programming from ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News over the course of eight days’ worth of Hurricane Harvey coverage. The report concludes, “Many failed to discuss the issue [of climate change] much or failed to cover important aspects of it. … Two of the three major broadcast networks, ABC and NBC, did not mention climate change at all in the context of Hurricane Harvey.” We speak to David Arkush, managing director of Public Citizen’s Climate Program.

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